Kotapati Murahari Rao

Kotapati Murahari Rao (23 December 1933 – 24 November 2011) was an Indian philanthropist, humanist, rationalist, agriculturist, and business magnate.

Rao was the founder and managing director of Pravardhan Seeds Private Limited, president of an NGO named CEASE Child Labour, Founding Chairman of the Seedsmen Association, President of the Andhra Pradesh Seedgrowers, Merchants and Nurserymen Association', Treasurer of the Rationalist Association of India, Founder & President of the Academy of Rural Development and Research (in Gudavalli), Vice-Chairman of the Institute Management Committee Government Tripuraneni Ramaswami Choudary ITI in Gudavalli (Guntur Dt), Founder & President of the Kaviraju Tripuraneni Ramaswami Choudary Trust, Trustee of the Dr. Kasaraneni Jayapradamba Trust, Advisor & Committee Member of the Dr. Rama Naidu Institute of Rural Development, the Vijnanjyothi Foundation. He was a full member of the International Humanist and Ethical Union.

Early life
Kotapati Murahari Rao Garu was born on December 23, 1933, in the village of Gudavalli, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, to the late Kotapati Sitarammayya Garu and Chandramma Garu, members of a Gandhian family. Sri Kotapati Sitaramayya Garu inspired people to use the war funds collected during the Second World War from the local farmers by the British government for the establishment of Sri Bollina Muniswamy Naidu Memorial School in Gudavalli. Sri Kotapati Murahari Rao joined this school in the 6th grade and completed the SSLC in 1950. He graduated from Loyola College, Madras. Subsequently, he studied paper technology in Pune. He actively participated in land donation programs as part of the Vinaya Ashram.

After his father's death, he worked as a science teacher at Muniswamy Naidu Memorial High School. He later worked as a cooperative auditor at Piduguralla, Narsarao Peta, and was then transferred to Kaluvakurthy. As a believer in svalambana, he left his government job and started cultivation on the banks of the Tungabhadra.

In 1975, he produced a movie named Vayasochina Pilla.

In 1976, he established the Academy of Rural Development and Research Centre in his native village, Gudavalli. He also established the Kaviraju Tripuraneni Ramaswamy Choudary Industrial Training Centre. He enabled the training of 20,000 people.

In 1995, Kotapati Murahari Rao Garu established a hundred-bed hospital named SIMS in the city of Nellore.

He established a fund at Kakatiya University that allows a gold medal to be presented every year to those who stand first in English. He gave donations to a trust established by Doctor Kasaraneni Sadasivarao Garu in Guntur. Through this trust, he established a girl's hostel by the name of 'Kotapati Sarojini Murahari Rao' in Guntur.

In 2002, he was elected the chairman of an NGO named CEASE child labor. As the chairman of CEASE CHILD labor, he tried to eradicate the issue of underage child labor. He helped the merit students join the Sri RamaNayudu Vignana Jyothi Village Development Society established in Thunika village of Medak district.